The Hina Blade
by vegeto18
Summary: First story. AU. Ch. 3 is up. Synopsis: What if the sword starts influencing Keitaro and it turns out to be good for Keitaro?
1. The Kiss

**Story: The Hina Blade**

**Disclaimer:** First story on fanfiction. First story I've written since my senior days at high school. I do not own anything that is Love Hina related. These characters, settings, and lines are under the ownership of Ken Akamatsu. This story itself that isn't part of Ken's ideas was generated by me. So that is the only thing I will take credit in – original ideas, lines, and anything else. If he chooses for me to remove it due to copyright problems, then I will

**Genre:** Romance/Supernatural/Action

**Rating:** M for sexual content and possibly language and violence

**Setting:** This is an AU. This takes place during chapter 4 of Volume 9. The scene where Keitaro puts on the clothespins will occur but there is a little twist. The meat of this takes place just before the Hina Blade is unsheathed by Naru and what happens afterwards.

**Synopsis: **The evil that is sealed within the Hina Blade is a demon that begins to influence Keitaro. The thing is that this influence is actually helping him than hurting him.

**Key:**

"----" - someone is talking

'----' - someone is mumbling

_Italics_ – someone is thinking

---- - setting

"Capitalized words" someone is screaming or talking louder than normal.

**Author's Rant:** The first half of this section is directly from the manga, the second half is from me. A bit spelling and grammar has been updated. Not much change other than suspending disbelief. Enjoy.

**Chapter 1: The Kiss**

The manager's room. Motoko is drying her hair while wearing Keitaro's shirt. He is making some hot chocolate for Motoko. Keitaro is still wearing a cast and using his crutches to get around. Naru at this time is in Kyoto on her class trip.

"…," says a former wet Motoko. _Why are all these problems happening to me? Furthermore, why is Urashima still so nice to me?_

"Really now…," says a worried Keitaro, "The rain is already that strong. You ran out there, only to get completely soaked. You'll get a fever that way!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" exclaims a flustered Motoko.

Keitaro looks at Motoko silently while she is still drying her hair. _Ahh…Motoko-Chan...Her hair…She looks so lovely. _ Keitaro then speaks, "Drink this…It'll warm you up."

"Ah…thank you…," replied Motoko as she begins to sip her drink. _I guess he does have some strong points...HOT!_ "IT'S TOO HOT!" Motoko immediately spews whatever liquid was in her mouth and onto Keitaro.

"WAAAAA! IT HURTS! IT BURNS…!" wails poor Keitaro as he tries to cool down his body

"BAKA! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME! BAKA! BAKA! BAKA!" yells Motoko as she begins to chase Keitaro around.

"I'M SORRY MOTOKO-CHAN!" replies Keitaro as he flinches. 'I'm gonna be beat up again.' "…Huh…Moto…Motoko-Chan?" Keitaro turns around to see Motoko is on her knees holding her cup of cocoa.

"…It is nothing…," answers the depressed woman, "I have not noticed that I am the idiot…even though I call you a weakling…and call you an idiot…but the only idiot and weakling here is really me..."

"Do…Don't say that. Y-You-" counters Keitaro

"DO NOT PATRONIZE ME!" exclaims Motoko, 'It does not matter if I am a swordsman, or a girl.' "I…I am…"

Keitaro then lays his hand on Motoko's head and begins to slowly caress her hair . "Forcing yourself too much isn't good, Motoko-Chan." says the concerned man. Motoko sees that despite her lashing at Keitaro and herself, Keitaro is still caring and nice to her. Tears form around her eyes and begin to fall.

"Do not be so nice me!" sobs the weeping Motoko. She drops her cup of cocoa and lunges towards Keitaro.

"Huh?" says a shocked Keitaro as he finds himself being held by the crying lady. She begins to cry uncontrollably, wetting his shirt. Motoko is holding onto Keitaro with all her might, letting out all that she has pent up over the last couple hours. _HUH!_

"Wh-What should I do…," wails the weeping woman, "Kei…Keitaro…I…"

_Waaa! M-M-Mo-Mo-Motoko-Chan…You… _thinks the panicking man. He begins to feel her grasp tighter around him. His stomach was now feeling her breasts. Unconsciously Keitaro begins to wrap his arms around Motoko. "M-Motoko…" Keitaro releases his grip as he realizes what he is doing. _Ack! I'm doomed! But she's trembling…Even though she is a strong woman, but her emotions are weak_. 'She's so lovely. Moto…' Upon hearing Keitaro Motoko slowly raises herself to meet Keitaro eye to eye. _Wa..Her breasts are so tender…This is not good! Her sister told me to take real good care of her…Wa! I really want to embrace her, wait, did she just call me Keitaro?_

And with that, Keitaro slowly puts his hands on Motoko's head. Just before he makes contact, he wills his own hands to get away from her and grab something. Anything. He feels that there are clothespins nearby and puts them on as many as he can. _WAAAA!_

"Keitaro…" reacts the saddened woman. She slowly brings her head up. She plans to confess her love to him and expects for the two of them to kiss. "I-I…WAAAAAA!"

Motoko immediately peels off Keitaro and backs against his wall as if he was the ugliest thing on earth. Words couldn't describe it any better. Keitaro's face was covered with hairpins making look like one of those humans with a bad birth defect. Motoko screams, "WA! KEITAROOO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"

"It's not what you think!" pleads the manager. Looking at the man for too long Motoko begins to laugh. Her friend joins her as they laugh on how ridiculous he looks. "DON'T LAUGH AT ME LIKE THAT! I HAD TO DO SOMETHING!"

Minutes pass and the two calm down. "But…This really helped regain your spirits…that's great! Motoko-Chan…you just lost one battle but you have already given up…that is not the Motoko I know. In the past, no matter how many times you failed…you never gave up."

"Ah…" blushes Motoko, "Keitaro…"

"Your sister said that she will be waiting for you at Kyoto."

"…This…But…My sword is already broken…"

"Ah. That's right…Just wait…" says the giddy Keitaro. He begins to rummage through his stuff until he comes a across an old but well maintained Katana. "This…This sword is…This is an Urashima family heirloom. I told my aunt about this and she said that the sword is stored in the stockroom. Please take it. Motoko-Chan…Let's go to Kyoto…And look for your sister! Let's go!"

Motoko blushes. "…Keitaro…," she then smiles, "Right!"

scene change: a black void. Everything is black. Darker than night itself under a new moon.

One hears a distant heartbeat. It happens a couple more times. And then it stops. An eye opens. All one can see is a yellow iris with a white pupil. One sees a faint grin. _I have awoken._

scene change: back to Keitaro's room

Keitaro hands the blade to Motoko and begins to get up. He opens the door. "I'll leave for a bit while you finish drying your hair and changing. Come and get me when you are finished."

He almost left his room until Motoko called for him. "Keitaro…" calls Motoko. Keitaro turns around only to himself lip locking with Motoko. Time begins to slow down and his heart rate begins rise. _Oh man! What is happening! Just when I thought I was in the clear this happens! Out of the frying pan and into the fire! Oh Kami this feels good….NO! No. No. No stupid! If Motoko realizes what she is doing, I will be the next person sent to the moon. Ack! What am I going to…huh?_

Motoko releases her lips from Keitaro and she sees him blushing. She smiles just a bit about what she just did and how she liked it. Keitaro didn't catch this because his mind was churning at the speed of light wondering how painful her attacks are going to be. "M-M-Motoko-Chan!" says the fearful Keitaro. "I-I-It was just an accident! I-I-I didn't mean to…mmmmpf!"

Once again Motoko kisses Keitaro but this time it is different. She wraps her hands around Keitaro. Her kissing is becoming fiercer. _Holy crap! _thinks the shocked manager. _SHE is actually kissing ME! And judging the way she is kissing, she only wants something in return. I should at least do something for her._

And with that, Keitaro kisses back. Motoko moans softly as she rejoices that Keitaro is feeling or at least thinking on the same wavelength as she is. 'Mmm...'moans Motoko. _I cannot believe I am kissing him! But…But he is kissing me back! That must mean something. I feel so happy. I wish could do this forever…but there is only one way to confirm it._

During this make out session, Motoko manages to get her arms underneath Keitaro's shirt. She feels his warm back against her arms and she begins to get turned on by it. Feeling bolder, Motoko does something that she has heard from school, read from romance novels, and seen on romantic movies. She slowly moves her tongue against his lips. His lips part and her tongue enters his mouth. She finds his tongue, and at that time, the two muscles began a sensual flicking dance, each tongue slowly massaging the other. At this point, Motoko's mind has reverted from her old warrior self to something more primitive. She gave into her feelings and her rationalizing self is no more for the moment. What she gave into was a lust/love mix that had engulfed all her senses. _OH! HE TASTES SO GOOD! This type of kissing is better than I thought!_ said Motoko who was undoubtedly drunk in her own lust. _Is this what love is like? Is this how he feels with Naru-Senpai? Does he even care about be me? He has to! He has to or else we wouldn't be kissing me in the first place! Even if it is not, I must have him. I have been holding all this inside for so long and I feel that I need to release these feelings on him so that he knows how I feel about him._ She continues to French-kiss her manager and moans quietly while she moves her hands from his back to his chest. She rubs it a bit and slowly moves her hands down. She grabs the bottom of his shirt and begins to lift it.

Meanwhile, Keitaro's mind is the complete polar opposite in thought. _Oh man what am I doing? Am I actually kissing back to Motoko? I am! A-A-And she isn't resisting! Oh Kami-Sama this feels good. Not even Narusegawa was as open as this. Am I wrong on choosing Naru over Motoko? No no no no NO NO NO NO! Naru is the girl I have loved. She is the girl that I made a promise to 15 years ago. But Motoko's here. She is unstable. She needs someone to rely on or else she may do something drastic. She might even be willing too…what the…?_

Keitaro suddenly feels that his shirt is being lifted from the back and that Motoko's hands are underneath it, grasping and rubbing his back. What surprised him even more was that he felt her tongue against his lips. _Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! OH SHIT! She is really into me now! I can't back out now. I may hurt her feelings. Not only that I may actually enjoy this…What to do. What to do. What to do. What to do. Can't. Resist. Anymore! _Keitaro opens his lips just a bit and feels her tongue entering his mouth. The two begin to "play" with each other. _Oh man! I wonder if I would be experiencing the same with Narusegawa. Oh Kami-Sama! Her hands feel so good rubbing my back. Not only that, she tastes so good! This is the first time a girl kissed me and I have already covered more territory than those who went on first dates! W-W-What is she doing now! Her hands are on my chest! Is she actually willing to sleep with me? ACK! She is trying to take off my shirt! I might actually get laid! This might be too good to be true. I might have actually found my future wife! My future wife. My future wife… My future wife? No! I must resist! But it feels good! But I will ruin her! She doesn't mind! I do! And I don't! But I don't want her to regret this! Can't you see that she is totally in love with you? Even so, I can't take ADVANTAGE OF HER! IT ISN'T RIGHT IN HER EMOTIONAL STATE!_

And with that, Keitaro breaks off his make-out session, shortening the chances that he will get laid. The two breathe very hard: Motoko, for the lack of air, and Keitaro, just from that internal struggle with himself. After minutes pass, they resumed their normal breathing. The lusting Motoko approaches Keitaro again and tries to go for Round Three; trying to finish what she started. Her lips almost locked with his again but instead of his mouth, she is kissing his hand. Keitaro, with every inch of willpower he could muster, blocks Motoko's attempts by covering his mouth. He knows all too well that if they kissed again, he would succumb to his lust.

"Wh-What's wrong Keitaro?" pleads Motoko, "Did you not enjoy it! Do you not want to finish what I started!"

_That is very tempting Motoko. You have no idea how much my body wants you but my mind is in control so I will have to decline_. Keitaro shakes his head, "Sorry, Motoko-Chan. Now isn't the time or the place for such…activities. I don't want us to have any regrets."

"Regrets?" questions Motoko as tears begins to form. "I will not have any regrets. If we are together than I will not regret anything! Keitaro…Can you not see? I…"

"I realize what you are going to say," said a now calm Keitaro, "But the truth of the matter is that we aren't wedded and if the girls found out…well we don't want a mess on our hands. Not only that, you are on an emotional rollercoaster. An emotional wreck if you will. I don't want to take advantage of this because the both of us wouldn't know what feelings of yours are real or not. What is lust and what is love. When this is all over, then you will know what is real and what isn't. For now, I don't want to trust on how you feel at the moment. Maybe later after this ordeal we are in. Now, dry your tears. I have something else important to say. When I talked to your sister, she told me that we have to fight her together. If we win, then you will be reinstated to the Shinmeiryu. And if we lose…"

"And if we lose?" says Motoko whose eyes have dried.

"And if we lose," says Keitaro as he begins to look at the ground, "then not only will you no longer be allowed to be a warrior but we will also have to…to…" '…get…married.'

"Huh? What did you say?" asks Motoko as she leans her ear against his mouth. She feels his breath and she slowly blushes.

'Married,' said Keitaro in a dire tone, 'Me and you. We are to be wedded immediately.'

This set of news shocks Motoko to the core. She begins to weigh in what is actually going on around her. If she wins she gets to be a warrior again with her pride and skills acknowledged by her sister. If she loses, well if she loses she would actually fulfill a fantasy that she always wanted. She begins to ponder that losing may not be so bad… She comes to her senses and shakes her head trying to get rid of that idea. Keitaro interprets it as something she doesn't want.

"Yeah," chuckles Keitaro, "I know how you feel. Well I'm gonna go and let you finish changing. I will see you at dinner okay. We'll discuss this with everyone there."

Keitaro begins to leaves and exits his room. Motoko smiles grimly to herself almost on the verge of crying again. _I-I-I guess he truly does not love me. Maybe it was lust. sigh I guess it was never meant to be. Well then I will…_

Keitaro then pops his head back into the room. "Just to let you know so that you won't have any mixed signals in the future, I enjoyed what we just did. If we were under different circumstances, I might have been okay to go through what we stopped."

He smiles warmly at her and leaves. Motoko's spirits are lifted, knowing that what they just shared was enjoyed on both sides. _Maybe_, she smiles with warmth and sincerity, _Just maybe it may not be so bad just to lose on purpose, and fulfill that fantasy of mine._

She chuckles to herself and finishes changing from Keitaro's clothing to something more of her tastes: her hakama and gi. And with that, she joins Keitaro at the dinner table, where the two of them explain the current circumstances they are in.

**Author Rant: **Well that is the end of chapter 1. Rate and review. How do you like this newbie now? I'll let you on a secret. Due to the actual length of the original chapter 1, I broke it into 2 or 3 pieces. Haven't decided how long the second part should be. Anyways, I did this so I could lure some of ya'll to read this AU of mine than plop all of it at once. Have fun with the torture I gave ya!

**Proofreader Rant: **Hey, he wasn't too bad this chapter, few spelling errors, couple of sentences that could have used more emotion, but other than that, 'tsall good! This is Baretta of the Dark Icon Writers singing off!


	2. The Newcomer

**Disclaimer:** First story on fanfiction. First story I've written since my senior days at high school. I do not own anything that is Love Hina related. These characters, settings, and lines are under the ownership of Ken Akamatsu. This story itself that isn't part of Ken's ideas was generated by me. So that is the only thing I will take credit in – original ideas, lines, and anything else. If he chooses for me to remove it due to copyright problems, then I will

**Genre:** Romance/Supernatural/Action

**Rating:** M for sexual content and possibly language and violence

**Key:**

"----" - someone is talking

'----' - someone is mumbling

_Italics_ – someone is thinking

---- - setting

"Capitalized words" someone is screaming or talking louder than normal.

**Author's Rant: **Yeah sorry that nothing happened than kissing was involved. In essence, Chapter 1 was the intro of Chapter 2. Now the interesting stuff happens. What I believed what happened during the whole Motoko and Keitaro vs. Tsuruko fight was that the two fought it out on the property of the School of Shinmeiryu thus explaining why there were scenes of everyone relaxing at different time intervals. Also I've decided to break the original length of chapter 1 into three chapters. This section is part 2 of the original chapter 1. It is that long. This section is nearly twice the length of the first part. The reason for this is that I can delay the inevitable writers block. This way while you guys are reading my stories, I can work on future chapters. Have fun.

**Chapter 2: The Newcomer**

It has been an hour since Keitaro and Motoko came across Naru in Kyoto. After the two explained their situation to the residents in Hinata-Sou, Keitaro and Motoko set off for Kyoto to find Tsuruko. They did exactly that, however, it was not a pleasant start. So far they have been smashed, smeared, bashed, tricked, and humiliated by the tactics of Tsuruko, and their own tactics backfiring on them. Of course, one of these attacks guaranteed the pair to be sent into LEO and into Naru Narusegawa. When the two recovered, Tsuruko caught up and explained the situation to Naru. Thinking that it was some perverted idea of Keitaro's, Naru joined Tsuruko on a tour trip of the Shinmeiryu. The other two, however, discussed their plans.

"This is terrible," groans Keitaro, "What should we do? Motoko-Chan…"

"We can't beat her facing her directly," sighs the ex-samurai, "So we have to think of a plan."

Keitaro sits down next to Motoko and grabs his sword that he gave to her. "We might as well use this sword!" the manager says as begins to unsheathe it, "The evil sword…"

"I THOUGHT I'VE TOLD YOU THAT WE MUST NEVER USE THAT SWORD!" cries the fearful samurai.

Scene Change: The Black Void.

Both eyes from the void open up. The two eyes have the same look as each other. A yellow iris and a white pupil. It looks around, seeing that it is still in the void.

_Hmmmm._ spoke the voice, _It seems that it wasn't a fluke that I have awoken. Someone has summoned me. But who could awaken me from this powerful seal?_

…

_WHAT! COULD IT BE! CAN IT BE! Is it possible that after so many centuries have passed that another has resurfaced? There is only one way to find out. I may be bound to this sword but transferring my soul through the wielder shouldn't be a problem._

And with that he slowly diminished in size and projected a ghostly form of himself in the living world. The ghost is nothing more than a shadow with those eyes. The ghost looks around and finds himself in a feudal Japan setting that has been…upgraded a little bit with two young adults. He looks at the female and then male.

_Hmmm. The female looks strong but her ki isn't in the right frequency to wake me. No. She may be a warrior but she wasn't the one to awaken me. As for the male…the male! It has to be him! He is holding the sword giving me enough to awaken again! I must make sure if it is what I think he is._

The ghostly creature from the sword begins to hover closer to Keitaro preparing itself to merge with the human male for a brief moment. It puts one hand into the male's body, and then the other. It feels some resistance, but not a lot.

"WOW!" exclaims Keitaro who appears drunk for some reason, "This is a great sword! I feel so good! I feel really good! WOW!"

"WAH!" cries Motoko, "URASHIMA! A SHADOW IS APPEARING BEHIND YOU! HE WANTS TO TAKE OVER YOUR BODY!"

The creature dissipates back into the sword as Motoko grabs the weapon from the soon to be possessed Keitaro and fully sheathes it. Keitaro snaps out of his trance and wonders what is going on.

_I guess that girl is trained enough to sense those not of the living realm, _says the creature as he returns back to the black void, _No matter, I had_ _enough time to confirm what I believed in. Currently his ki is weak. Too weak. Weak as common folk. But there is no doubt about it that I was right. This male. This…Keitaro…is what I thought he was. He is…a Descendant._

Keitaro looks at Motoko as she sets the sword down. "Looks like…Something horrible is sealed in this sword…"

"If we accidentally draw out this sword, only aneue can defeat it. We must never touch this sword!"

"Um…I can't see anything. Anyways, since we can't use this sword, then we have to attack when she is not ready."

"I was planning on doing that too!"

From there, the two proceeded to ambush Motoko's sister at the hot springs. They found her and went underwater. Their plan would have succeeded if Tsuruko stayed for another ten seconds. The victim, it turns out, was Naru. Embarrassed for her life, Naru attacks and Keitaro ends up being the victim. Later on, Naru goes to the bathroom only to revisit déjà vu. Embarrassed more than ever because she is sitting on the toilet, she attacks both Motoko and Keitaro. The two apologize while running away from her wrath.

Later in the night, Naru approaches Keitaro. The two talk about Motoko's and his last chance to defeat the matchmaker. The topic changes from defeating Tsuruko to Motoko and Keitaro. Naru teases Keitaro about those two getting married. Of course Keitaro blushes and says that it isn't going to happen. Motoko arrives to find out that those two are having a good time. Motoko's heart breaks a bit as she becomes envious of Naru's position wishing that it was she flirting with the manager rather than her friend. Not only that, a certain event about a certain kiss not so long ago also triggers her memory This makes her question the event and remembers what Keitaro said:

Flashback: The time after their first kiss.

"_I realize what you are going to say," said a calmed down Keitaro, "But the truth of the matter is that we aren't wedded and if the girls found out…well we don't want a mess on our hands. Not only that, you are on an emotional rollercoaster. An emotional wreck if you will. I don't want to take advantage of this because the both of us wouldn't know what feelings of yours are real or not. What is lust and what is love. When this is all over, then you will know what is real and what isn't. For now, I don't want to trust on how you feel at the moment. Maybe later after this ordeal we are in."_

End Flashback

Naru and Keitaro notice her and approach her. Naru decides to leave knowing that the two have a big day tomorrow so making last minute plans are a necessity. With Naru gone, Keitaro walks Motoko back to her room.

"Don't worry Motoko-Chan!" replies a cheerful Keitaro, "Though the odds are against us, we will have to beat her! Then the three of us can go back to Hinata-Sou together! Ok? Motoko-Chan?...What is it Motoko-Chan?"

"Urashima," responds the saddened woman as she begins to blush, "Do you really hate it that much having to marrying me because of being beaten by sis?"

"Wh-What!" answers the shocked cripple. _What is she getting at? Does she really want to lose instead? Is she actually attracted to me? Does that kiss have to do with this? How could I answer such a question? That would mean I would have to choose between…her…or…Naru. I need to know what she is getting at. _"M-M-Motoko-Chan! What are you saying?"

"AH! NOTHING FOGET WHAT I JUST SAID!"

"Mo-Motoko-Chan…You…WAAA!"

"I SAID JUST FORGET ABOUT IT! YOU HEAR ME!" screams the hurt Motoko as she throws some of Su's bombs at Keitaro. The manager, with his uncanny immortality, is engulfed in flames and survives it. When the flames died down, the charred Keitaro wipes the soot off.

"Motoko-Chan. What's wrong?" he asks himself.

_WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I SAYING! BAKA! _says Motoko as she runs away form Keitaro. _THE FINAL BATTLE IS TOMMORROW! BAKA BAKA BAKA!_

After running for so long, the former samurai climbs on a tree and decides to make rest for the night on a sturdy branch. _But…Why is it that when I see those two together, I feel hurt…Why is it? This feeling…feels like when sis got married. Could it be…that I've fallen for Urashima?_ _How could it be? Are these my true feelings? If so, then were those feelings of mine the truth during that heated moment? _She chuckles to herself as sleep gently overtakes her.

The next morning, the dastardly duo team up again for the final showdown against the expert swordsman Tsuruko. And what a battle it was. Never in all of Tsuruko's life has she participated in such a pathetic battle. Her main opponent was a girl who wouldn't admit to her feelings. This held back her focus on being a swordsman and held back her femininity on being a woman. The other opponent was even more pathetic but he was more excusable. He had little training in the art of the sword and to make matters worse for him, he was a cripple. Yes even she had to admit that cutting ten leaves at once was more of a challenge than what these two could muster. She could equalize the battlefield just a little bit by pulling out one of her favorite romance novels and read it while battling them but decided she shouldn't. She shouldn't mock her sister's final chance at being a warrior. Maybe when this is all said and done and when Motoko provided her with some nephews and nieces…

Things were looking grim for Motoko and Keitaro. They have done almost everything they could. Motoko has thrown every technique she has learned at her sis and either she blocked it as if it was nothing or reflected it back twice as powerful. Even Keitaro tried throwing bombs at her but she ended up unscathed. Things looked really hopeless. It was as if Fate itself destined these two to be wedded. It would have been so but Fate forgot to take into account another contender: Naru Narusegawa.

"Hey," says the bored woman, "You…Aren't you a little too protective towards Motoko. You are a cripple. Could it be…that you and Motoko had a relationship? Very suspicious."

"NARUSEGAWA! THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE!" yells Keitaro. _Crap! Did she already find out what Motoko and I did! How could she! HUH! What is she…noooo!_

Narusegawa grabs onto the Hina Blade and begins to unsheathe it "WHAT! You're still carrying this sword just to look cool…"

"NO! THIS SWORD IS…"

But it was too late for Keitaro. Naru fully unsheathed the Hina Blade. And what happened was something that no one, not even Fate, counted on.

Scene Change: The Black Void

Both eyes open again. Those vicious eyes with yellow irises with white pupils. _I have been unsheathed!_

A white silhouette forms around the creature. The creature goes into a fetal position. And then, it expands and stretches body out arms wide and legs apart. The white silhouette expands and takes over the black void. What was once a black void filled with darkness has become a white void filled with light. _Ah! She approaches. I really don't want to do this since she is of impure blood but I have been confined in this coffin for far too long. I need to stretch myself while I can before I am put back into that blasted scabbard! Who knows when the next time I will be freed._

As if on cue, Naru's mental projection of her materializes. _Wh-What is going on here! Where am I! Motoko? Tsuruko? Keitaro? Where are you guys! Keitaro! Please come back! I don't think I like this place!_

_Don't worry my dear. There is nothing to be afraid of, _says a voice behind Naru. Naru slowly turns around afraid to see what was talking to her. She knows good and darn well that it is no one that she recognized. And she should be. When she looked at the creature she came to utter horror. She tried to scream but nothing came.

What she saw was an eight feet tall human. No. Humanoid. It looks human but with minor differences. The creature had large muscles with little or no fat. He looked strong enough to crush a semi-truck with ease and then some. He wore nothing but a decorated red pair of pants with a decorated blue loincloth over it. Instead of a peach, brown, or black skin humans were made of, this one's skin is a light pale green/white mixture. His teeth, when he grinned at her in amusement on what is happening, were of pearl color and the shape of a wolf's fangs. He had no hair on his body save his armpits, his crotch (or so Naru thinks), and the top of his head. The color of his hair was silver. His hairstyle wa thick spikes of hair that went a little upwards the then curved 90 degrees going straight away from his head instead of pointing in various directions like normal spiked hair. This was the same everywhere on his head except for two bangs near the middle front of his head. Instead of the direction that the rest were going, it went downwards a bit and then arced upwards; sort of like Naru's antennae bangs but upside down. The length of the hair was probably one to one and half feet long.

That wasn't what made Naru fearful of the humanoid. It was his eyes. His eyes! Instead of that white jelly that all humans had, his was of a soulless black. His irises were of demonic yellow and his pupils were white as the white void itself. These types of eyes not only frightened those who weren't prepared for it but it also made one lost in its gaze. It was if one's soul was sucked right in before the creature blinked.

By this point Naru is sobbing and calling out for anyone and everyone especially Keitaro while staring at the creature. She began wishing how she admitted her feelings to him from the very beginning. She began to go over all kinds of regrets with those she came across especially when she was around Keitaro. She truly believed that she was going to die.

_Tch! How annoying! _complains the humanoid. _Of all the people that wielded this sword and I end up with a cry baby. sigh She should be lucky that I'm one of the nicer folk and not of my half-siblings and kin. Well better start somewhere. I will leave you alive for now. I will take over your body until I am sent back to my home or until I grow weary of you. But before I do I will wipe your memories away so that you won't remember what has happened when you are parted with the sword. Like I said wench, you should be lucky that you came across me than some other folk. I'm a bit more merciful._

And with that the humanoid stretches his right arm towards Naru's mind. She can do nothing but stare at his eyes becoming lost in his gaze. He slowly merges his hand with her head and closes his eyes. He has possessed Naru and begins his work. He first wipes away all the memory from the time she wielded the weapon to their first encounter and anything that is going to happen from there. _I'm quite certain she won't remember anything from the time I've taken over to the time I've released her. Now to have some fun._

Scene Change: One second prior to the Hina Blade's unsheathing.

"NO! THIS SWORD IS…"

But it was too late for Keitaro. Naru fully unsheathed the Hina Blade. And what happened was something that no one, not even Fate, counted on.

The humanoid took over Naru's body and an incredible amount of ki was unleashed. The air swirled around her and begins to expand. Her eyes changed from her normal chestnut brown to something else. The white jelly that surrounded her irises went to a soulless black, her irises went to a demonic yellow, and her pupils went from black to pure white. The air swirling around subsided and the explosion of ki dwindled down to a trace amount. The creature was able to get a foothold on his host.

"WAH…!" cried Keitaro as he watches in horror that his sweetheart has turned from the aggressive PMS woman into something…different. "NARUSEGAWA?"

"IS…ISN'T THAT THE CURSED SWORD?" yells Motoko, "SHE DREW THE BLADE OUT?"

"Isn't that the sword that nearly wiped out our entire Shinmeiryu…" says Tsuruko as she is stunned at what she is seeing, "…and turned Kyoto into a flaming sea?"

"WHAT!" the two replied.

_Ahh…This feels so good! s_quealsthe humanoid _I have forgotten what feels like to roam about this land since my days at Kyoto. I absorbed so much strength from those warriors at that place but I did go too far with that…adventure. I should take it easier else I may be sent back to my home._ "WOW! This feels so good. He he he."

_Doesn't look that dangerous…! _replies the duo as they see Naru look and act like a drunkard. What they didn't realize is that the humanoid hasn't fully controlled his host's body so he is having technical difficulties.

Despite that small problem, the humanoid jumps towards them to test out his rusty skills. And with one mighty swing, he sent the two and the targeted ground into the air.

"WAH!" cries the two.

"Not bad…," claims an impressed Tsuruko, "After sucking the strength for generations…it has become stronger. In the name of the Shinmeiryu, I shall seal you today…"

Tsuruko looks around for the humanoid only to see her sister actually withstanding that kind of attack. _Motoko…_

Unfortunately for Tsuruko, that kind of distraction was enough to give the possessed Naru the time it needed to execute its attack.

_Heh heh heh _laughs the humanoid as he turns the expert samurai around. _You shouldn't have done that else you wouldn't be in your position. I can sense you are strong. And for that, I will take some of your strength and add it to the sword. I shall seal this claim with a kiss._

And with that, the humanoid wraps Naru's arms around Tsuruko's head and forces her to kiss his host. The two lip lock and Tsuruko tries all her might to get away. To her inconvenience, the humanoid is too powerful for her to get away. As time passes and the two continue to kiss, Tsuruko feels her own strength draining from her and transferring to the humanoid. The humanoid finally releases the samurai and tastes his host's lips with her tongue. _Not bad for an expert samurai. I guess you have had some experience from the past. No matter, I thank you for you giving me your strength. I shall use it for my benefit._

The humanoid jumps away from his victim to survey the rest of the battle.

"GOSH!" cries the worried Motoko, "Her strength has been sucked dry…! It controlled Naru Sempai's body to defeat sis.

_WHAT?_ thinks the blushing Keitaro. _But…having to be kissed by Narusegawa isn't that bad…_

Motoko feels her anger rising towards the humanoid. _I didn't think this sword would be this dangerous…But…if we're up against Naru Sempai…it's hard to act._ Motoko hears Keitaro scream. She turns to see Naru sempai on all four limbs next to Keitaro ready to pounce on him. "URASHIMA!"

_So there you are…_responds the humanoid as he stares at the young male. _I currently like this body, so I shall steal some of your strength to remember what it was like when I roamed this realm. Forgive me if I am going to be a bit…harsh. I will come back and test you later._

The humanoid begins to jump onto Keitaro, preparing to steal his strength, however, Fate intervened yet again. A rock was next to the possessed Naru and she tripped on it. Her grip on the sword was released. The blade flew and landed on Keitaro's head, blade first.

Scene Change: The White Void. A.K.A. The former Black Void. Two seconds ago.

The demon was luxuriating his time controlling his host. _Ahhh. This feels so good. I will steal his strength and then I will know how strong he is._

For some unknown reason, his host breaks free of his grasp and disappears. _WHAT? _screams the demon as he finds himself alone in the white void . _WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? I HAD HER UNDER MY POWER! DAMN FATE! WHY MUST YOU INTERVENE WITH MY PLANS?WHY MUST Y---EH?_

The demon finally notices that he is still in the white void. _Hmmm. Something accidental must have occurred since the white void hasn't become the black void. What is going on…_

Scene Change: The Living Realm

"WAH!" yells Motoko as she sees the tip of the blade impale her manager. She turns to check on Naru and then her sis without realizing that Keitaro grabbed the handle of the blade and removed it from his head.

Scene Change: The White Void. One second ago.

The demon finally notices that he is still in the white void. _Hmmm. Something accidental must have occurred since the white void hasn't become the black void. What is going on…_

Before he finishes his line, Keitaro's mental projection of him materializes in front of the human

"Wh-Wha-Where am I?" says Keitaro as he finds himself in a white void. He turns around to see the humanoid standing next to him. He becomes full of fear as he sees the humanoid in detail. What frightened him the most was his eyes. Those soulless, demonic eyes. "ACK! A MONSTER! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I'VE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING SPECIAL IN MY LIFE!"

The humanoid just stares down at Keitaro as he begins to cower in fear in a fetal position, "If I'd known that I was to die soon, I would have slept with Motoko…eh?"

Keitaro looks up and at the humanoid but not at his eyes. _He is just staring at me. Who or what is this creature?_

'Tch! This is what I get?' says the disappointed humanoid as he sees Keitaro go into a fetal position. Keitaro then looks up wondering what he is. The demon stretches his right hand to touch his Keitaro's head. Once he made contact, he was immediately repelled by a small shock from Keitaro. Keitaro from this point on is speechless not knowing what to say or do because he accidentally looked at those eyes. "So I was right," replies the creature with amusement, "There is no longer any doubt in my mind. You are of pure blood. You are a Descendant. You were the one who woke me from my slumber after so long."

Keitaro just stares not knowing what he is hearing. "You may be a Descendant," replies the humanoid, "But you aren't strong enough to be helpful. At your current state, you are nothing more than a commoner who I can possess. All I can do for now are these things."

The humanoid lays his hands down on the still stunned Keitaro. He still hasn't gotten over just how scary the creature is. Minor bolts lighting emerge from Keitaro and try to repel the humanoid but he ignores it knowing just how weak they really are. The first couple times caught him off guard.

_I will do these things in order, _says the demon as he begins his work, _I will first instill a minor addiction or curiosity in your body and sub-conscious. This way if I am ever banished back to this sword, you will be drawn to me and unsheathe it. The second will be me wiping your memories from your conscious mind. You won't remember this encounter but when you return, I will restore them to you while you visit me. You will never remember me as long you don't wield this sword. And the third, ho ho ho, the third is for my benefit. I thank you for lending me your body. I will have some fun with your current state before I release. After all, with me in control, you will be ten times stronger. _

The humanoid did those three things and Keitaro's body was now under the humanoid's control.

Scene Change: The Living Realm. One second after Keitaro retrieved the Hina Blade from his head.

Naru groggily woke up from her slumber. "Ah…What just happened to me?"

"NARU-SENPAI!" yells Motoko, "BE CAREFUL! BEHIND YOU!"

"Eh….YAHHH!" screams Naru as she begins to crawl away from the possessed Keitaro. Fortunately for Naru, Keitaro is still a cripple so he just limps toward her. "MOTOKO-CHAN! HELP! I'M BEING CHASED BY A ZOMBIE!"

"NARU-SENPAI…" exclaims Motoko. She looks to her sister. _Sis_

Flashback: The time when Tsuruko was single and Motoko was just a little girl.

"_Motoko-Chan," says the young expert samurai, "You must become an expert samurai!"_

End Flashback

Motoko grabs her sister's sword and crouches. The bells on her sister's sword chime in unison. _The cursed sword…sucks the strength off its victim through the mouth, well then…I will only have to distract it for bit!_

Motoko blushes as she begins to charge at the cripple.

Naru cries, "WAHHHH!"

"URASHIMA!" Motoko yells as she turns the possessed man around. "Sorry."

She cups his cheeks with her hands and kisses him again on the lips. _Wh-What is going on here? _questions the humanoid as he finds himself lip locking the other warrior. _Does she want to give me her strength. Is she willing to serve me? I can see no…_"What?"

_NOW! _Motoko rests her hands on Keitaro's shoulders, jumps over him, pivots her body 180 degrees using her hands on his shoulders, and lands behind the man. "SHINMEI-RYU SECRET ARTS!"

_I guess I didn't get to have fun, _chuckles the humanoid, _No matter I will see this male again in the future._

The creature laughs out loud as Motoko finishes her technique "ZAMAKEN NI NO TACHI!"

Motoko jumps into air and rotates her body 360 vertically as she slices the possessed Keitaro with her purifying attack. A beam of uncontrollable white energy is released from the sword and passes through the male. Keitaro writhes while he is sent back towards a boulder. He releases his grip on the sword and the humanoid is forced to release his grip on his current host.

Keitaro is released from his grip and comes to senses without remembering his encounter with the humanoid. He finds himself skidding against the ground head first. "AHHHH"

Scene Change: The White Void. A fraction of a second after the attack was made.

Keitaro breaks free from the creature's grip and disappears. Red beams of light slowly form around the creature, about 5 feet away from him. One after another in a cross like pattern. At the same time, blue beams of light follow the exact pattern and path as the red ones. The two meet and a discharge occurs before the two settle down and become one forming a purple color. Once fully finished, a purple spherical cage is formed around the humanoid.

_And so I will no longer be able to possess people, _chuckles the demon. He touches the cageand it burns his hand, destroying a couple fingers. He withdraws and his fingers regenerate at incredible speeds. _I assume that this attack was meant to destroy me. I guess I should be thankful that the original seal is actually protecting me from this new one. I may be alive because the original seal since it prevents me from going anywhere but this new one prevents me from possessing anyone. That still doesn't mean the wielder can't be influenced by my power. No matter. I have accomplished what I set out. The boy will come to me. I may not be able to control him but I can influence him in the direction I want. Soon. Real soon Descendant…no…Keitaro Urashima. You will know who I truly am_

The humanoid cackles as the white void shrinks back to the silhouette of the humanoid and then disappearing altogether as the black void takes over.

Scene Change: The Living Realm

"I…I've sealed it…" pants the tired ex-warrior.

"Not bad," applauds the Tsuruko who has revived from her sudden loss of strength, "Though I was carelessly defeated, you seem to have sealed it. But…I was too careless…I've over said it this time. Looks like…you have been training hard in Tokyo…Motoko.

"Ah…" replies Motoko as she is stunned by the praise of her sister. Tears form around her eyes as she realizes she won and has been reinstated as a warrior. "Yes…sis…"

Tsuruko pats her little sister's head. Words can't describe the scene any better as the sun sets and that everyone is happy that Motoko is a warrior again.

Scene Change: Living Realm. The next day, the four are at some train station. The residents are getting ready to ready to leave for Hinata-Sou.

"What? You want to test for university?" questions Tsuruko.

"Yeah…" blushes Motoko believing that what she said is foolish. "Is it okay? Sis?"

"Of course!" replies the happy sister, "You stay in Tokyo and polish your sword skills and learn to be a woman!" She turns to Keitaro, "Urashima-San, please take care of Motoko."

Keitaro nods his head with sincerity, "Yes, Tsuruko-Sama"

Motoko and Keitaro glance at each other. _…That's great…Motoko…_

_Urashima _thinks Motoko as she slowly blushes.

Naru coughs loud and on purpose, "Why are you two staring at each other so passionately…?"

_ACK! _the two speak in unison, _Does she already know that we kissed!_

Tsuruko laughs at the three, "Go ahead and stare some more! I'm going! Bye!

"Wait! Narusegawa!" responds Keitaro as he begins to chase Naru.

"You've misunderstood!" replies Motoko as she follows Keitaro's lead.

The two caught up with Naru explains to her that nothing happened. Of course something happened but they are not stupid enough to tell her that. After that ordeal clears up, the three get on the train and head back to Hinata-Sou. They store their belongings in the luggage compartment and head to their seats waiting for sleep to overtake them on their way back to Tokyo.

Scene change: The Black Void.

_Soon Descendant Urashima. Soon._

**Author's rant: **Well Chapter 2 is done. Rate and Review blah blah blah you know the drill. Well you guys have been introduced to the figure from the sword. To get a perfect idea of what he looks and sounds like, take Akuma from the Street Fighter series and then apply those descriptions I made for him. Scary huh? As for his voice, think of the voice actor who plays as Naraku for Inuyasha on Adult Swim. Want to know more? Well too bad. Guess you will have to wait till Chapter 3 (part 3 of the original chapter 1): The Encounter. Guess what that will be about. ;)

**Proofreader's Note: **There were WAY less mistakes this time around. Just a few mishaps with the honorary system, comma placement, and non-impacting sentence structure. However, I have cleared all that up!

Baretta of the Dark Icon Writers.


	3. The Encounter

**Author's Rant: **In first paragraph I mention that a day has passed since Tsuruko lost. Now I don't know the time it takes to get from Kyoto to Tokyo via train but I will assume that the time to leave the Shinmeiryu grounds to the time of arriving at Hinata-Sou took a whole day. One more thing, I hold no credit to the Star Wars franchise. They belong to George Lucas. Also this chapter isn't the best and it does feel rushed in the end.

**Chapter 3: The Encounter**

**Key:**

"----" - someone is talking

'----' - someone is mumbling

_Italics_ – someone is thinking

---- - setting

"Capitalized words" someone is screaming or talking louder than normal.

It had been one whole day since Keitaro and Motoko challenged Tsuruko. With the help of Naru, they had defeated her. The three of them finally made it back to Hinata-Sou, late in the afternoon, and in high spirits. The tenants who were left behind congratulated them for their victory and prepared to party. The travelers turned down the offer and decided to put partying off for the next night, seeing that they were exhausted from their travels. Not only that, Shinobu mentioned that they were low on food supplies so they couldn't party even if they wanted to. Kitsune seemed okay with this delay, seeing that she would be able to plan a much better party with the increased time.

Instead of a night filled with sake, story-swaps, dancing, and horrible karaoke, it was a grand dinner that Shinobu created with whatever supplies they had left. Everyone feasted till their hunger was satisfied. Yes, life at Hinata-Sou couldn't get any better. After dinner and cleaning up what remained of the food, the residents dispersed into their rooms after saying goodnight to each other.

Scene Change: Motoko's room

Motoko headed into her room and began to unpack the belongings she brought with her. After she put away her clothes, toiletries, and other various items needed for a trip, she turned around to pay attention to two long objects covered in brown paper, tied with simple string.

Motoko unwrapped one and marveled at the gift that her sister gave her, along with a letter.

_To my loving sister Motoko-chan,_

_Congratulations for realizing where you are weak. I have become impressed with what you have done by sealing that demon in his proper place. Even I must admit that I had my doubts that you would be able to clear your mind. Truth be told, you were in a far worse state than you realize. Had I not come and meddled in your affairs, you would have deviated from your path and lose all your focus. From what I gather, you have certain feelings for a certain manager. Now don't deny it. This was what kept you losing focus. By concentrating on two things, skills as a swordsman and suppressing your feelings as a woman, you were not able to attain maximum efficiency. What you shown me back at home is that you still have capability to focus on one subject at time. Be it your sword or a male. I do not really care. As long you give attention and focus that area, you will make me proud. What I have enclosed with you is a sword that was forged by a close relative. Though it is new and untamed, it perfect to match your situation. As you mature into an expert swordsman and woman, it too will mature and become apart of you. The sword I have given it is the Shouten (Focus). Use this sword to remind yourself the trials and executions you had to go through when you and Urashima went through. I wish you the best of luck dear sister and I know that you will make me proud when you mature._

_From your loving sister and teacher,_

_Tsuruko Aoyama_

_Sis, _replied Motoko, as tears began to form around her eyes. _I won't let you down sister. I will wield this sword and it will remind me daily on what I must do._

Motoko grabbed the sword and unsheathed it. As the blade was brought from its home, it shimmered with intensity as the light from her room reflected in its polished surface. Motoko knew just by holding it that it yearns to be used. To cut, slash, and impale whatever its opponent is.

Motoko sheathed the sword and set it against her wall. She glanced at the other object. She ripped off the brown paper and saw that it was covering the Hina Blade. She grabbed the weapon and a chill is sent down her spine. _Though I've sealed the evil from within, it doesn't mean I haven't destroyed it and that bothers me. Normally that kind of attack purifies a person or an object. Whatever evil was contained is destroyed but this…this evil seems to be there but just barely. As if something else is preventing its destruction. No matter, it can no longer possess people but just to be safe. I will guard it and leave it in my room until I know how to handle it properly._

Motoko set the Hina Blade on mantle and got ready to change. Discarding her hakama and gi, she began to unwrap her bandages that…suppressed her womanly side. After the bandages are loosened enough, her breasts began to increase in size, being 2-3 times bigger than her chest size when she wore the bindings. Consciously she would never admit it but sub-consciously Motoko knows that she will become a voluptuous woman in her early twenties. Wearing nothing but cotton fabric panties she grabbed her oversized t-shirt and slipped it on. The t-shirt covered everything but her arms and the lower part of her thighs and below. She unrolled her futon, turned off the light, and let sleep overtake her.

The next morning, the normal routine of Hinata-Sou began its course. Motoko rose up with the sun and began her training with a renewed spirit. The rest of the tenants slowly got up and got ready for breakfast that Shinobu made. After breakfast, everyone dispersed and followed their routine schedules. Shinobu and Naru headed to the supermarket to buy more groceries for the week and for the party. Su and Sarah explored the former Inn. Kitsune lounged around, drinking sake, and betting on horses. Motoko (feeling refreshed and inspired) went back to the roof to train some more. Mutsumi headed back to the Tea Shop to work. Keitaro did his various duties as manager. Of these, he is retrieving the laundry for Naru, Motoko, and himself from their trip at Kyoto. He began distributing the articles of clothing by heading to Motoko's room…

_Well that was an action packed week, _thought Keitaro as he entered Motoko's room after he knocked, _I can't believe what we went through. It went from a very pathetic battle to something life threatening. It was all because of that sword. But if it wasn't because of that sword, I might be finding myself getting laid by Motoko._

Keitaro began to scratch his chin in amusement as he thought about that fantasy. He caught his wits and shook it off. He set down Motoko's clothing next to her rolled futon and began to head out. _I shouldn't let my mind wander around. It might land me a serious blow to the head by Motoko. I guess I should be thankful that the Hina Blade "saved" us. It wasn't a useless sword…useless sword…sword._

Keitaro stopped in his tracks as he caught of glimpse of the Hina Blade. He stared at the blade. For some odd reason he felt compelled to unsheathe the blade. _Heh heh. I shouldn't worry, _thought a nervous Keitaro as he grabbed the blade and began to unsheathe it, _Motoko destroyed whatever was in it. It is nothing more than a normal…_

Scene Change: The Black Void. Both eyes open up again.

_He has come_.

A white silhouette formed around the creature and he expanded it like his previous experience. The black void filled with darkness became the white void filled with light. A mental projection Keitaro materialized. He went through the motions just like his first time. First being shock, then begging for his life, and then regretting for not getting laid with Motoko. The humanoid stood in amusement as he revisited déjà vu. Before Keitaro could do anything else, the humanoid reached through holes in the cage and placed his hand on Keitaro's head. Small shocks of lighting from the cripple tried to defy him, but the humanoid ignored it.

A beam of clear-like white energy was emitted from the hand and was transferred to the manager. His forgotten memory surfaced and a rage begins to form within.

The manager backed away a bit and lashed at the creature without looking at his eyes. "Who are you!" demanded an angered Keitaro, "What do you want! Why did you control my body! I thought Motoko destroyed you!"

Keitaro was shooting off random interrogative questions left and right about his experience with the creature (hey if someone controlled you and you know who did it, wouldn't you be angry at them?). The creature just smiled behind his cage. "Easy there Urashima," replied the humanoid, as he raised his hands to his head, "Calm down. I'll will explain everything in due time. But first, how about I make myself more presentable?"

The creature sank into a fetal position and clenched his eyes. Keitaro just stared what was happening. A field of clear-like white energy wrapped around the creature. His body began to shrink as did his muscles. His hair shortened from that wild foot long hairstyle that was silver to a simple inch long spiked hair that is also silver. His skin changed from a pale green-white complexion to a pale peach-white complexion. His teeth regressed from pearl like wolf fangs to white human teeth. Even the pants and loincloth he wore shrank.

When he finally finished this transformation, he stood up. He was no longer the behemoth that he projected but now he was at Keitaro's size and build. Though his eyes didn't change color his intensity subsided. It was more…tolerable. In ways, this humanoid looked more human than his other form.

"Wh-Who no what are you?" responded the shocked Keitaro. Never in his entire life had he seen such…oddities.

"Ah there will be plenty of time for that," as the creature evaded that question, "What we should be worried about is you. I have looked at your memories and they aren't the most pleasant ones. You are a clumsy nit-wit who barely got himself in an upper class trade. Though you claim you are innocent, which you are by the way, no one believes you. Instead, people abuse you around. And yet, you get up as if it was a sucker punch from the local bully. Oh I now know more about you than you realize after I…borrowed your body for that small amount of time. But enough evasion, I believe you deserve some sort of answer. After all, I did summon you here."

"Allow me to introduce myself," said the creature as he took a courteous bow with a wicked smile, "They call me Ojike. Jin 'Ojike' Takashi. A half-breed demon."

"Huh?" reacted the confused man, "Ojike? Your name means Fear? Half-breed. Wh-What are you talking about?"

"Whether you understand or not is not my concern Descendant," answers the half-breed, "What I'm going to say is important. You are a Descendant. It is vital for you spend time with me so that you may…fulfill your role."

"Descendant?" queries Keitaro, "I don't know what you are talking about."

The half-breed grunts, "Oh, of course you don't. But surely, don't you think that the Hina Blade has to do with this? Haven't you yet realized why your sub-conscious retaliates when I approach you?"

Keitaro just stared dumbfounded.

Ojike sighed. "Let me try this. I am a half-breed. And because of that, I inherit some properties from my demonic father, while I also inherit some properties from my human mother. As you can see, I have two different types of forms that I can switch though both forms are imperfect. Well, as I matured and developed this form, I came to find a wife and produced kids. These kids grew up and mated. As did their kids. And as did their kids as well. This has continued from then until now. And with each passing generation my traits that posses my demonic side get thinner and thinner to the point where it is too weak to be considered demonic. This human interbreeding has spread my traits everywhere on this land but more importantly this eventually leads to the woman known as Hina who passed my traits her son who passed it to his child."

"Wh-What do you mean…" replied Keitaro as the pieces are slowly being put in place.

"Keitaro…" responded Ojike, "…I am your Ancestor!"

Keitaro stood gawking at what he just heard. Tears began to develop, "No….No….NO!"

"Look inside yourself," countered the half-breed, "You know it to true!"

"NOOOOOOOO!" sobbed Keitaro as he fought dearly that he isn't related to this creature, "Noooooooo...That can't be true. That's impossible! It just can't…"

"Oh but it is," remarked the creature as he assured his descendant, "And I can prove it. You are from the long line of extinct samurai that delved from me. This line was strong. They were mentally sharp and physically built to endure any hardship. Their bulk of their powers relied on my capabilities which I received from my father. As time grew, the number of samurais dwindled one by one as each generation wasn't strong or pure enough to summon a certain attack. It never occurred to them that interbreeding would save it. All lost access to my traits because the blood was too impure save one: your family line. Through out the millenniums your ancestors maintained the bloodline to me by marrying those who were capable of accessing my power. Those who weren't able, weren't allowed to marry anyone within the family line. This prevented the family from being too impure for a long time. That time, however, is getting nearer. I can sense it."

"I-I-I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!" yelled Keitaro, "YOUR JUST A DEMON! DEMONS DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO GET WHAT THEY WANT! THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN PROVE THAT I AM YOUR DESCENDANT!"

Ojike chuckled. "Let me put it this way. Have you ever wondered why you are still alive?"

Keitaro hesitates.

The humanoid continues, "When that girl punched you into the sky, shouldn't you have received fatal wounds from landing from that high? What of that swordsman? When she attacks shouldn't you have received wounds that would have incapacitated you for a while? This 'immortality' everyone talks about is a bit exaggerated but not far from the truth. Though all my descendants' blood has diluted to the point where it is non-existent, your family and their ancestors were able to delay that inevitable so that my abilities could be maintained for a while. YOU ARE LIVING PROOF OF IT! Keitaro…what you have is a much diluted form of my regenerative powers. Though you suffer damages such as cuts, wounds, and broken bones, you will heal at a faster rate than a normal human that didn't mix with my blood. Observe…"

Ojike extended his left hand to the bar of the energy cage. A bolt of energy emerged from the seal and burned his hand. A couple of fingers were disintegrated. He showed his left hand to Keitaro. The manager watched in awe as his hand healed and fingers regenerated at an incredible rate. "A gift from my father. Though I never met him, I have heard stories about him from my mom. She told me that he was near indestructible as he knew where everything was and when something did hurt him, he stalled long enough for his wounds to recover. You Urashima have that gift. At least the most apparent one. Though many millenniums have passed, you are barely pure enough to access my abilities for your use. This is where I come in. I will train your sub-conscious. In your current state where your body is physically weak and your mind is mentally dull, you can only regenerate at a slow passive rate. You can't even heal of your own free will. You have other passive abilities but they too need to be awakened. When I am through with you, you will be able to revive the traits of me within. It will become strong and you will be able to continue our family line."

"But how can I be sure?" asked a wary Keitaro, "How do I know you aren't lying to me and just using me just to escape this sword? Speaking of which, if you are my ancestor, then why are you here?"

Ojike chuckles, "That, young one, is for a different time. I've told you more than enough information. You should be grateful that the human side of me is compassionate. Now let us begin your training. Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter. You will learn what I am going to teach you whether you like it or not. Now come closer."

Keitaro approaches within caution. "Now touch these bars," orders the half-demon. Keitaro did only to feel a little jolt of heat going through. It wasn't scalding hot but it did catch him off guard. "See what I mean? Because I carry fifty percent of my father's blood, this new seal is able to destroy me. This is different in your case. Since you carry less than one percent of my father's blood all you will feel is an intense but tolerable heat. Now grab the bars and pull them towards you with all your might."

Keitaro looked at his eyes and was caught in some sort of trance. He complied with what Ojike says. He grabbed two bars. He felt a surge of heat traveling throughout his body. This caught him off guard. "Focus!" hissed the half-demon, "If you can't handle simple heat than how can you carry on your lineage be successor of my abilities. DO IT AGAIN!"

Keitaro tried again, expecting the heat. He grabbed the two bars and pulled. Nothing happened. He tried again. Still nothing. Keitaro gave it a third time, but with all his might. The spherical cage expanded a bit. "Goooooood," said the satisfied half-human, "Do this a couple more times till you are able to squeeze through one of the cage holes. Keitaro repeated this a couple more times until the cage was large enough for him to squeeze through and inside of the cage.

"Excellent," replies Ojike as he snapped his fingers. Keitaro broke from his trance.

"Wh-Wh-What am I doing here?" responds Keitaro as his anger rises, "Y-You tricked me. I knew it! Now I'm gonna pay! Stupid Keitaro! Stupid!"

'Tch! This is getting annoying,' muttered the humanoid, "Enough! I've told you from the beginning that I won't harm you. You have much potential and I aim to unleash it."

Keitaro, still wary of this 'ancestor,' stands and listens. _Might as well listen seeing that I have no choice on leaving when I want. I guess only he can dismiss me._

The half-demon began his lesson, "Now let's begin starting with your confidence. From what I gather from your memories you have no confidence. No mentality. You believe that since you can't do well using your mind than you are useless to everyone in everything. This is not the case. Failure in one area using your mind doesn't represent all areas that use your mind. We will start with the basics: women. The opposite sex is a tricky entity. I will admit the times have changed drastically and in your case not for the better. Back in my time the males chose his wife and the wife didn't have any say in the matter. In your time, it seems that both male and females work together. This may be a problem since you let yourself be walked over by everyone. The first rule of thumb is that you must be calm and in control. Judging by your memories, every time a female does something that makes you feel uncomfortable you panic and begin to say things what ever comes from your mouth. This results in you in situations where damage is inflicted upon you. If you didn't have regenerative properties then you would have suffered more strenuous conditions. As I've stated before, being calm in a situation is always the best approach. It helps further if you close your eyes, and take a deep breath. This clears your mind, and helps you formulate possible comebacks and say something smart."

"But…" Keitaro retorted, "isn't that flirting?"

The demon looked at him quizzically. Keitaro sighed, "I mean isn't that saying something to impress someone?"

Ojike shrugged, "Maybe it is but that isn't the point. The point is that doing that kind of method helps you in any situation when you battle an enemy in a game of wits. As your mind matures, your words become sharp and penetrating as you know what to say in order to turn things in your favor. Just remember to be calm and in control when something disturbs your mind. Now for the next step. Push cage even further back Urashima."

Keitaro complied with request and tried to expand the cage even further. The cage does expand, to room size. Meanwhile Ojike extended both hands out and into the air and concentrated. Two energy sticks, the size of swords, are formed from his hands. When Keitaro finished his task, Ojike tossed him a stick. "We will now brush up your skills as a swordsman. Doing this increases your physical performance such as strength and heightens your senses. Now prepare yourself!"

"WHA?" cries Keitaro as saw himself being charged at by the demon, "I-I-I don't know how to fight! I barely got by with Motoko alone! WAAAAAAAAAA!"

Keitaro tried to run away but his ancestor cut him off. "QUIT BEING SUCH A BABY AND DEFEND YOURSELF!"

Ojike raised his stick and attempted to slash his foe.

A panicked Keitaro fell on his butt and tried to defend, but was overpowered by the attack, "WAAA!"

Keitaro took the blow and pain erupted all over his head. He grabbed the top of his head trying to lessen the pain. The humanoid sighed, knowing that the boy has much to learn. "You are weak Urashima. We will start all over but after I teach you the basics."

And so Ojike showed Keitaro the basics of sword fighting. There was the high blocks, low blocks, vertical slash, diagonal slash, horizontal slash. He even taught the boy how to hold his ground when to swords meet and neither opponent relents on his attack or block.

After "hours" have passed, Keitaro was finally able to get the hang of basic swordsmanship. "Good," replied the content half-human, "You are making progress. You are learning to be calm under any situation when dealing with women. As you progress, this will expand to more complex situations. You now know the basics of using a sword. You are now becoming a bushido. You have one more lesson for our encounter before I release you to your realm. Every time you come here I will teach you on using your mind, body, and the use of the two together. This is technique and finesse. Technique and finesse are key in any battle. It heightens your accuracy to hit certain areas and heightens your speed to get done as fast as possible. The technique I will teach is a complex move in the art of sword fighting that is an asset. It is difficult to master at first but when once the mind and body began to work as one, it becomes fluid, and occurs before your opponent realize it. You will learn what all swordsmen learn the easy or hard way. You will learn the counter.

"Counter?" asked Keitaro, "You mean as in block and then attack immediately."

The creature nodded. "This type of counter I will teach is difficult and different. There are various kinds. Mine calls for a quick and decisive victory. You will learn the Hard Breath Counter. Now get up for you will learn the hard way. And the hard way is the best way. When I give the signal, attack me anyway you want."

Within the cage Ojike signaled Keitaro to attack. Using what he knows, Keitaro attacked the beast with a downward slash. The creature reacted with a high block using the stick in his left hand. Both contenders put pressure on their weapons, trying to overpower the other. And then without a moments notice, Ojike relented his and sidestepped to his left. The end result was Keitaro stumbling forward trying to keep his balance in check. _Wha-what is he pulling? _thought Keitaro as he began to fall forward. _I don't see th—"_OOOOOFFFFF…."

Keitaro immediately dropped his energy weapon and grabbed his stomach. He violently breathed as hard as he could. He finally was able to say something when he had enough air. "Wh…What was…gasp…was that…?" panting hard

"That Urashima…," answered Ojike as he grinned, "…was a punch to your stomach just below that chest bone of yours. After trial and error and some luck I found out that various areas of the stomach can tolerate a certain amount of pain. What I found out was the area below the chest bone has zero tolerance to pain and causes the opponent to breathe very hard, trying to reduce the pain. By reflex he grabs his stomach shielding it from future attacks. This opens an opportunity for the attacker to make a finishing blow. In your case you would be dead if we truly fought blades."

"I—I see," reacted Keitaro as he finally was able to control his breathing.

"Well now that you know what the attack is," he chuckled as he stances himself in a fighting pose, "it is your turn to learn from the experience and apply it to this attack. On your feet Urashima. This your last lesson for the time being. You will not leave until I believe that you've grasped enough to master it."

The two went at it for another couple "hours." And every time they did it, Keitaro tripped, delayed too long, or hit the wrong place. Eventually he grasped the technique that was so hard to learn. Keitaro was panting real hard, exhausted after what he went through.

"Good job," rejoiced Ojike as he saw his pupil grasp the counter, "You have learnt what I given you. I have more to teach and to tell but that will be for another time."

"I don't know what is going on…" said Keitaro, "And I'm still uncertain whether I should trust you or not but if you are done may I now leave?"

The half-breed nodded. "Yes. Yes you may. But before you go I will need to take your conscious memories of this place. You won't remember this place or me but your sub-conscious and body will remember what I taught you. It is best to do this to conceal my survival in this sword. Now step out of the cage."

Keitaro did so. Ojike extended his hand through one of the holes from the cage and placed it on his head. A clear-like white energy was emitted from Keitaro and went into the hand of Ojike. Keitaro closed his eyes and nodded off, forgetting his experience in this dimension. The mental projection of him dematerializes. The white void began to shrinks back to the silhouette shape of Ojike and then disappeared. All that is left is Ojike, the spherical cage that prevents him from leaving the sword, and the black void that comforts him.

_Heh Heh Heh Heh. Keitaro Urashima. I sense much potential in you. The question is, can you realize it, continue the family line, and break me from this place? I will look forward to our next meeting._

Ojike laughed as he closed his eyes as he meditated.

Scene Change: Motoko's room. One second after Keitaro unsheathed the blade.

Keitaro is in a little daze.

_Huh? Was I just daydreaming? My mind must off wandered off. Oh well. Judging that I am still wielding the sword must mean Motoko did purge the evil from within._

And with that Keitaro sheathes the Hina Blade and places it back on the mantle. He picks up Naru's and his clothes and exits Motoko's.

**Author's Rant: **Well there you have it. You now have some background of Ojike the half-demon. He is indeed related to Keitaro and Keitaro slowly realizes how he is able to put up with so much abuse. If you confused on why Keitaro can only remember Ojike when he comes in contact with the Hina Blade, then let me brief you for a bit. I won't say how he came to the sword or all of his powers but Ojike's power revolves around the mind hence his possession and influence on Keitaro's memories. This chapter, like all the others, is crucial in building up the rest of the story. Oh and thanks to those who review and to Baretta, my proofreader. One more thing, I originally named the Hard Breath Counter as the Solar Plexus Counter. After reading some Hajime no Ippo manga I found out about the condition of the body when a person is hit in the solar plexus. That would explain why Keitaro wasn't able to retaliate immediately.

**Proofreader's Rant: **This was done well, but you GOTTA WRITE in past tense! All the time! Most of the time I spent on this chapter was fixing things like that. Well. Vegeto and I will see you soon! Ja ne!

Baretta of the Dark Icon Writers, signing off!


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